In the field of grading or moving earth or dirt, the so called side blade attachments for a tractor are an economical way of grading earth, sweeping dirt, snow or other material, or digging trenches. Unfortunately, due to the constraints on the movements of the side blade, the reach of the side blade is very limited. For areas that are outside the reach of the side blade, a person with a pick and a shovel usually undertakes the extremely time consuming and costly task of moving dirt or grading earth.
A tractor with a side blade mounted underneath its body is a convenient tool for removing snow or moving dirt. It may also be used for grading or ditching areas adjacent the body of the tractor. Major drawbacks of having the side blade underneath the body of the tractor, however, are the constraints that the body of the tractor puts on the movements of the blade. As a result of this structural constraint, the blade has limited angular, vertical and lateral movement.
Undesirable constraints on the angular movements of the blade with respect to a horizontal plane arise from the position of the blade mounted underneath the body of the tractor. Since the blade may not be rotated at wide angles, and the tractor must traverse the surface being graded, grading earth or moving dirt at relatively steep angles is not practical.
Undesirable constraints on the vertical movements of the blade are also present because the blade may be raised only to the extent of open space underneath the tractor. In other words, the space underneath the tractor is the extent of the vertical movement of the blade. Therefore, in certain instances where there is a need to raise the blade high enough to pass over an object or an obstacle to reach the intended working area, the constraint on the vertical movement of the blade precludes accomplishing the work under consideration. Thus the blade may not be raised high enough to reach areas that are beyond an obstacle, such as a wall, that separates the tractor from the desired working area. This type of situation may come up where the tractor is used near a house or other types of constructions where the intended working area is not easily accessible by the tractor.
Undesirable constraints on lateral movements of the blade, away and towards the body of the tractor, also arise from the fact that the blade is attached underneath the tractor. Basically, the blade may be extended outward by an arm mechanism that rotates the blade about a vertical plane. In such a configuration, the blade will achieve its maximum outreach when it is rotated at an angle perpendicular to the body of the tractor.
Due to the above mentioned constraints, in many occasions, the tractor is not capable of moving dirt, grading earth, or digging a trench in an area alongside a construction, or beyond an obstacle, because neither the tractor nor the blade may get close enough to reach the intended working area. Further, grading or sweeping may not be performed at relatively steep angles approaching the vertical.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a versatile side blade and mount assembly to provide for significant capabilities to move dirt, grade earth, or dig trenches, at a wide array of blade orientations, angles, and heights, in areas which would otherwise be outside of the reach of a tractor or front end loader.